I’m the Senior Director of Research at Forbes Insights. I’m most passionate about getting to the bottom of how (and why) things tick, and have focused on qualitative and quantitative primary research for over a decade. At Forbes, I research global trends among senior executives and organizations across any industry and topic you can imagine, from cloud computing, talent management and green technology to diversity, women leadership roles, retail financing and M&A trends. I received an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a master’s degree in strategic communications from Columbia University. Drop me a line at bsniderman@forbes.com, or follow me on Twitter at @brennasniderman.

The Five Personalities of Innovators: Which One Are You?

Whenever I try to conjure up what innovation looks like, the same slideshow of images clicks across my mind: that photo of Einstein with his tongue sticking out, Edison with his light bulb, Steve Jobs onstage in his black turtleneck, introducing the latest iThing. Unoriginal and overdone, to be sure. And not all that accurate.

Because it’s not just about that romantic “ah ha!” moment in front of a chalkboard or a cocktail napkin, it’s about the nitty-gritty work that comes after the idea: getting it accepted and implemented. Who are these faces? And, most importantly, as I’m sure you’re all asking yourselves: where do I fit in?

Though it may seem stymieing at times, in any healthy working environment, a tension between the risk-takers and the risk-averse must exist; otherwise, an organization tilts too far to one extreme or the other and either careens all over the place or moves nowhere at all. An effective and productive culture of innovation is like a good minestrone soup: it needs to have the right mix and balance of all the ingredients, otherwise it’s completely unsuccessful, unbalanced — and downright mushy.

The Forbes Insights study surveyed more than 1,200 executives in Europe across a range of topics and themes. Using a series of questions about their attitudes, beliefs, priorities and behaviors, coupled with a look at the external forces that can either foster – or desiccate – an innovative environment, a picture emerged of five key personality types the play a role in the innovation cycle.

This last piece – the corporate environment – is a stealth factor that can make or break the potential even the most innovative individual. Look at it this way: a blue whale is the largest animal known ever to have existed, but if you tried to put it in a freshwater lake, it wouldn’t survive. Well, that and it would displace a lot of water. My point? Even the largest and mightiest of creatures can’t thrive in an environment that doesn’t nurture them.

The themes surveyed in the study are universal; despite the focus on European executives, these personalities are applicable across oceans and cultures. The full study, available here, provides further breakdown of where these personality types congregate by industry, company size and job function.

I’ll leave it to you to decide which one fits you best . You may even see a little of yourself in more than one group. But remember, none of these are bad. All play crucial roles in developing an idea, pushing it up the corporate channels, developing a strategy and overseeing execution and implementation. These are all pieces of a puzzle, arteries leading to the beating heart of corporate innovation. Wow – can I make that sound any more dramatic?

The Five Personality Types of Innovation: a breakdown

Movers and Shakers. With a strong personal drive, these are leaders. Targets and rewards motivate them strongly, but a major incentive for this group is the idea of creating a legacy and wielding influence over others. These are the ones who like being in the front, driving projects forward (and maybe promoting themselves in the process), but at the end of the day, they provide the push to get things done. On the flip side, they can be a bit arrogant, and impatient with teamwork. Movers and Shakers tend to cluster in risk and corporate strategy, in the private equity and media industries, at mid-size companies; though they comprise 22% of total executives, at companies with revenues of $25 million to $1 billion, Movers and Shakers can encompass up to one-third of the executive suite.

Experimenters. Persistent and open to all new things, experimenters are perhaps the perfect combination for bringing a new idea through the various phases of development and execution. “Where there is a will, there is a way,” is perhaps the best way to describe them. They’re perfectionists and tend to be workaholics, most likely because it takes an incredible amount of dedication, time and hard work to push through an idea or initiative that hasn’t yet caught on. They take deep pride in their achievements, but they also enjoy sharing their expertise with others; they’re that intense colleague who feels passionately about what they do and makes everyone else feel guilty for daydreaming during the meeting about what they plan on making for dinner that night. Because they’re so persistent, even in the face of sometimes considerable pushback, they’re crucial to the innovation cycle. They tend to be risk-takers, and comprise about 16% of executives – and are most likely to be found in mid-size firms of $100 million to $1 billion (20%). Surprisingly, they’re least likely to be CEOs or COOs – just 14% and 15%, respectively, are Experimenters.

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Lots more but I think you get the trend, only thing they had in common besides knowing nothing about their industries when they started, was a relentless pursuit of excellence by inspiring PEOPLE skills

I was actually driving and thinking about HOW innovators become recognized yesterday…, must be why I clicked on your article! I’d have to agree with ideapete that it is their inspiring PEOPLE skills that truly sets them apart.

That, and two other beliefs: 1. Yes is always part of the equation (No is not a part of their vernacular). 2. You’re only as strong as the connection you have with others…(or you always need to be surrounded by people who only see yes, it can be done…, and it will happen)!

Thanks Brenna. From DISC to MBTI to KT…to your article–always fascinating to see how we try to understand how all of our personalities and temperaments are essential, unique, and fit together to make such a splashy tapestry.

Great points, all. I think the people/connection aspect is an incredibly important one, perhaps the most important. A truly successful innovator (or, at least an individual who is truly successful at fostering innovation in others or at their organization) is not only well-networked, but can recognize the talents in others and figure out how to put them to best use in a new initiative or project. They can help pick the best people to make something happen. I do wonder how that will change as people become more networked online and less so in person, and whether or not that will filter into the office as well.

When it comes to a CEO/leadership position, the role they play does not require intimate knowledge of the field but of the applicable principles. We can walk into any company in any industry and improve the company based on the applicable principles as long as we have knowledgeable and trustworthy people at our disposal.

One of my fortune level trainers compares it to being an orchestra leader (his background). You don’t have to know how to play each instrument to know what good music sounds like, how to read music, and how to organize teams.

As for your wonderings about the direction this is heading: I don’t see people networking less in person. The need for community has already become extreme, and people are swinging back the other direction towards communal activity. People can’t survive isolated, and they’re realizing this in many ways and on many levels.

The superficial “friendship” trend has already broken down so much that songs have been written about it. When your “friends” don’t even care enough to help you move or come pick you up when your car breaks down, it creates a reality check and the emptiness is perceived, creating a desire for fulfillment.

This coupled with the systematic extremism and collapse of all the parasitic and abusive systems of the world is scaring people back together. It’s not the most desirable motivator, but it does seem to be accomplishing the needed result.

Community gardens and event groups have been springing up like crazy. Most are facilitated by internet communication, but the networking is still in person. People need interaction, connection and positive support, and the feeling of lack is bringing them back together in every way.

Service based organizations are the best business example. Though many service providing companies are no longer hiring employees, rather sub-contracting locally and over the internet, this will ultimately funnel people into the local social scenes due to the lack of personal interaction as well. Professional lives are being streamlined and personal lives are being revitalized by one movement to recover lost support and connection.

All you need is a vision, which in most cases is either blurry or irrelevant or missing. If you have a vision for yourself and your team, the action plan falls in place. If you as a Manager can keep the team engaged (not swamped with work) and help them understand why they are doing it, you gain team’s trust.